George Gibney sentenced to 15 and half years

Former Irish swimming coach 6/5/1988 George Gibney © INPHO / Billy Stickland

Former swim coach and “manipulative predator” George Gibney has been jailed for 15 and a half years for the sexual abuse of four young swimmers 50 years ago.

The 78-year-old's actions were part of a “pattern of systemic offending which violated the rights of four young children over a lengthy period”, sentencing judge Mr Justice Mícheál O'Higgins told the Central Criminal Court on Monday.

He was a “manipulative predator” who insinuated himself into the lives of children under his care and some of their parents, the judge said.

“It was predatory in nature and a gross breach of trust of his position of authority as a swim coach,” the judge said. “He used his coaching role to access and assault defenceless children under his care.” Gibney “will be sentenced for the gravity of his offending, not his reputation,” Mr Justice O'Higgins said.

Once a former swim coach of national and international renown, “from these heights he has fallen, and his reputation now lies in tatters,” the judge said.

Gibney was found guilty by a jury of 39 counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape of four young swimmers between 1971 and 1981 following a trial earlier this year. He pleaded guilty to a further five counts of indecent assault of one complainant at the outset of the trial.

Gibney, of Breakwater Drive, Altamonte Springs, Florida, was extradited from America last year to face the historic allegations against the four complainants, who are now aged in their 60s.

The abuse took place at various locations including Glenalbyn swimming pool in Stillorgan and Trojans swim club in Newpark Sports Centre, Blackrock, Co Dublin, which Gibney set up to “great excitement” in the community in 1976.

Gibney also abused some of the girls in his car while giving them lifts to and from swim training, in his home when they were babysitting his children and - in the case of two complainants - in their own homes.

The abuse took the form of kissing, inappropriate touching, digital penetration and forced oral sex. A previous sentence hearing was told Gibney now accepts his guilt.

The maximum sentence for indecent assault is two years and the maximum sentence for attempted rape is life.

Mr Justice O'Higgins noted that many people would find the two-year maximum sentence “surprising and bluntly inadequate”, particularly given Gibney's offending involved oral abuse and digital penetration – offences that would carry a maximum sentence of life if committed today.

He said the court must sentence an offender according to the maximum sentences that were in place at the time of the offending, He said he would impose consecutive sentences given the nature of offending, the duration, the gross breach of trust and the fact there were four complainants.

He handed down a headline sentence of 12 years for the attempted rape, which he reduced to 10 years taking Gibney's age and health into account. He handed down a combined sentence of six years and eight months for the indecent assaults which he ordered to run consecutive to the 10-year sentence.

He suspended the final 14 months of the entire sentence on a number of conditions.

Gibney showed no emotion as the sentence was handed down and he was taken out of court in a wheelchair. The complainants cried and embraced each other.

More to follow...